Dam apparatus for irrigation-ditches.



F. E. MENDENHALL & W. G. BRSKINE. DAM APPARATUS FOR IRRIGATION BITCHES. APPLICATION FILED 00T.12, 1914.

1,129,703. Patented Feb. 23, 1915.

A TTORN E Y 8 THE NORRIS PETERS c0 F'HOTO-LITHOH WASHING FONI D @NliTED PATENT @FFTQE.

FRANK E. MENDENHA LL AND WILLIAM G. 'ERSKINE, OF MINATARE, NEBRASKA.

DAM APPARATUS FOR IRRIGATION- BITCHES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

treat es.

Patented Feb. 23, 1915.

Application filed October 12, 1914. Seria1 No.866,305.

To (ZZZ whom it may concern Be 1t known that we, FRANK E. MENDEN- HALL and i VILLIAM G. EnsKiNn, citizens of the United States, and residents of Minatare, in the county of Scotts Blufi and State of Nebraska, have made certain new and useful Improvements in Dam Apparatus For Irrigation-Ditches, of which the following is a specification,

This invention relates to dam apparatus for irrigation ditches and more particularly to that class wherein a dam curtain is maintained in a stretched condition across and forming a stop for, a ditch, combined with a time controlled mechanism for releasing the dam curtain.

An object of the present invention is to provide a novel arrangement of beams which will eiliciently support a dam curtain and release the same at a predetermined time, the confronting faces of the beam being provided with a series of complementary triangular ridges and depressions adapted to rigidly grip the curtain without likelihood of mutilating or tearing the same even after repeated use.

A further object is to provide a pair of beam supports adapted to engage the upper end of a dam curtain and maintain the same in operable position and to combine there with a novel arrangement of pulleys and flexible elements secured to a time controlled trip lever holding the curtain securely between the beams and providing for its successful releasement at a predetermined time without likelihood of the curtain becoming mutilated and without danger of the moving parts becoming jammed into wedged and fixed engagement.

A further object is to improve generally and enhance the utility of that class of apparatus to which the present invention appertains.

ith these and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention can be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings accompanying this specification and forming a part thereof the preferred embodiment of our invention is illustrated, in which Figure 1 is a view in elevation of our improved apparatus depicting the same in position in an irrigating ditch, Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the foregoing, Fig. 3 is a view in cross section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1, Fig. 4 is a detail view of the trip lever and the beam to which it is pivotally secured, Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of the auxiliary beam illustrating one of the conical pins which are adapted to engage the dam curtain and aid in its securemen't.

Referring to the drawings in which similar reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views 1 represents an irrigation ditch with the side walls or banks 2 across which extend the main and auxiliary beams 8 and 4.

The main beam is anchored to the ditch banks and is provided with the horizontally extending guide rods 5 to which the auxiliary beam 4 is slidably secured, thus restricting the beams to lateral motion. The confronting faces of the beams are provided with a plurality of complementary, triangular shaped ridges and depressions 67 for the reception and securement of the upper end of the dam curtain C. The auxiliary beam is provided with a centrally disposed depression from the vertex of which project a number of conically shaped pins 8 which are adapted to engage the curtain C and aid in its securement, although it is to be noted in this connection that the ends of these pins are dulled or blunted, preventing the mutilation of the curtain.

A pair of pulleys 9 are mounted upon the main beam 3 and support a flexible element 10 which has its ends 11 secured to the pins 12 of the auxiliary beam. A trip lever 13 is provided with the pulley 14 spaced a distance from its point of pivotal support and receives the center or intermediate portion of the flexible element therearound, the length of which latter is such that when the trip lever 13 is in its lowered and set position, as illustrated in Fig. 1, the flexible element will draw the confronting faces of the beams into rigid engagement with the curtain G and securely hold the same in place. A time controlled mechanism 15 is carried by the main beam and includes a stop 16 beneath which the trip lever 13 is set, thus holding the curtain in its dam forming position until such time as the trip lever is released.

The trip lever 13 is formed by bending a single length of material into a substantially U-shape, as disclosed in Fig. 4, and with the free ends 17 held in spaced relation by a pulley 14 which is positioned therebetween. A bearing bracket 18 is rigidly secured to the main beam and supports the pin 19 upon which the trip lever is pivotally mounted. A pair of spring yokes 20 are secured to the sides of the beams, and exert a force thereon tending to separate the beams for the releasement of the dam curtain.

A plurality of holding members 21 are mounted along the edge of the auxiliary beam and are adapted to engage and hold the end of the curtain in place while the trip lever is being set. Each of these holding members 21 include the overhanging brackets 22 which slidably support the spring-pressed plunger 23. In order to secure the curtain in its dam forming position and presupposing the beamsseparated by the spring or resilient yokes 20, the upper end of the curtain is interposed between the confronting faces of the beam, drawn therethrough and secured beneath the spring-pressed plungers 23. The holding action of these plungers is sufficient to hold the curtain in position, thus allowing for the convenient setting of the trip lever and cooperating parts. The trip lever is then moved in a direction opposite to that indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1 and placed beneath the time controlled stop 16, beneath which it is maintained until a predetermined time. With the trip lever in its lowered and set position the flexible element 10 will draw the auxiliary beam and main beam into forced engagement with the curtain and hold the same in place notwithstanding the constantly increasing pressure of the water thereon. The releasement of the trip lever 13 allows the beams to be immediately separated, due to the resilient yokes and results in the releasement of the curtain which acts as a gate and allows the water to flow thereby.

Having thus described our invention what we claim is 1. An apparatus of the class described, comprising a pair of beams with the confronting faces provided with complementary triangular shaped ridges and depres sions, a dam curtain insertible therebetween, and lever actuated means for forcing said beams toward one another to clamp said curtain therebetween.

2. An apparatus of the class described, comprising a pair of beams with the confronting faces provided with complementary ridges and depressions, a plurality of blunted substantially conically shaped pins projecting from the center depression of one of said beams, a dam curtain insertible between and securable by said beams, and means for moving said beams toward one another and into forced contact with said curtain.

8. An apparatus of the class described, comprising a pair of beams with the confronting faces provided with complementary ridges and depressions, a plurality of blunted substantially conically shaped pins projecting from the center depression of one of said beams, a dam curtain insertible between and securable by said beams, resilient means engaging said beams exerting a separating force thereon, and means for moving said beams toward one another and in forced contact with said curtain and adapted to release the same for the separation thereof by said resilient means.

4. A dam apparatus comprising a pair of parallel beams with the confronting faces I provided with complementary triangular shaped ridges and depressions, a dam curtain with the end thereof insertible between the confronting faces of said beams, resilient yokes spanning said beams and exerting a separating force thereon, a lever carried by one of said beams, and means actuated by said lever for moving said beams toward one another and adapted to maintain the lat ter in forced contact with the said curtain.

5. A dam apparatus comprising a pair of parallel beams with the confronting faces provided with complementary triangular shaped ridges and depressions, a dam cur tain with the end thereof insertible between the confronting faces of said beams, resilient yokes spanning said beams and exerting a separating force thereon, a lever carried by one of said beams, means actuated by said trip lever for moving said beams and adapted to maintain the latter in forced contact with the said curtain, and a plurality of holding members extending along one of said beams and including overhanging brackets with spring-pressed plungers adapted to engage the curtain to secure the same during the operative movement of said trip lever.

6. An apparatus of the character described, comprising a pair of clamping beams, means connecting the beams and normally acting to space the same apart, a dam engaging the said flexible means for actucurtain, a portion of Which is engageable ating the same.

between the clamping means, flexible means FRANK E. MENDENHALL. having connection With portions of both WILLIAM G. ERSKINE.

beams for drawing the same together Where- Witnesses: by to clamp the curtain between them, and G. F. HAAs, a lever fulcrumed on one of the beams and W. F. GRAHAM.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G." 

